The Osceola times., 1887-03-19

worship by congregations in any of tn
temples in China, nor have the Chimes
any Sabbath. The division of the day
into weeks is unknown among them
The first and fifteenth days of eacl
moon are more particularly set apar
for worship at the temples, but there i
even then no cessation of business. Tn,
temples are open day and nigh
throughout the year, a priest is alway,
in attendance, and a wick floating in ,
cup of oil is always kept burning bcfor,
the image or the tablet.
The ordinary form of worship is YER,
simple, and occupies less than q min.
ute. A Chinaman comes in, buys, fol-
a cash or two, several sticks of incens,
from the priest, who lights them fol
him at the sacred flame. These are
handed to the worshiper, who place!
them, lighted end up, in a bronze in
cense burner before the idol.
He then prostrates himself on rug
before the image. and knocks his head
three times upon the floor, the priest,
meanwhile, beating a huge drum, OF
bell. in order to attract the attention
of Buddha. This done, the worshiper
rises and goes about his business. This
is the inyariable form of worship in all
temples in China. 1t is short, simple,
and inexpensive, and interferes with
neither business nor pleasure.
| Tho Tat.iacfa In tLo D,,I,1I,;-@ H.
ist systems are not allowed to marry,
and, as a class, they are idle, ignorant
and vicious. Probably not one-tenth
of them can read or write.
Temples abound in China. Not only
are they to be found by hundreds in the
larger cities, by scores in the smaller
cities, and by twos aud threes in every
hamlet and village-but they are scat
tered thickly along the roads, squeezed
into the gorges, and planted on the tops
and slopes of every hill. In general,
they are built, repaired and maintained
by private subscription, though some
are either supported by annual grants
from government, or by endowment.
"Church-begging" is very common
in China. The temples advertise their
wants by posting on walls in the neigh
borhood square pieces of yellow paper,
wherein is the exact Chinese equivalent
of the scriptural ASK and ye shall re-
ceive," together with the name and To-
cation of the temple where prayers are
always answered.
But there are also more personal
forms of begging. The writer has seen
in Peking a priest, whose cheeks had
been pierced, and his teeth knocked out
so that an iron rod, as large as ones
middle finger, could he passed through,
to project an inch or two beyond either
check. An iron half-circle was hinged
to each end of this, and passed around
the back of the priests head. Attached
TO the half-circle was an iron chain,
which was so long as to drag on the
ground several feet behind him.
His business was TO go from house to
house, beating small drum, asking
help TO repair temple. sympathy
would be wasted on him. He was q
professional church-debt-lifter." who
had monthly wages and commission
ON his collections-and the rod and
chain where his stock in trade. There
is another way, still more peculiar. A
priest stands in "A small box-like struc-
turc, placed in front of temple,
through the boards of which spikes
have been driven. SO that the imprison-
ed priest can move no part of his body,
except his right arm, without being
pricked By a spike. With his right
hand he rings n bell, TO draw attention
to his pitiablc condition. Charitable
persons give so much for the privilege
of drawing out spike. The highest
priced spikes are those which point to
the vital parts of the body. The priest
is supposed to stand in his kennel day
and night, until all the spikes have
been bought and drawn, but no one
believes that he really does so.
Asingle incident will show how much
hardship and self inflicted suffering
some of these heather will undergo to
fulfil religious vow. On. intolerably
hot and dusty afternoon in 1871, the
writer was resting at wayside tea
house to the southwest of Peking, and
saw approaching man and woman.
The man would first take one long step,
then bring his other foot up, and meas
urc his whole length in the road.
Having knocked his head three times
on the ground, he rose, took another
step, and again Frustrated himself. The
woman was his wife. and was waiting
upon him. In answer to questions, he
said that he had made a vow that If
Buddha would restore to health his son
who was desperately sick, he would
make n pilgrimage to Wu-tai-shan and
home again, step and prostration
an the way.
Not more than three miles could be
made in a day. He had Travelled about
six hundred of the two thousand miles
of his double journey, and would he
two years longer in completing his
vow. As he was seventy-eight years
old, and almost worn out, it was easy
TO see that he would not live to fulfil it.
A callous lump as large as an egg pro-
iected from his forehead, raised by
knocking his head upon the dusty road.
Yet this man was shocked and angry
at suggestion that he should abandon
his useless pilgrimage, and passed out